Chihiro opened her eyes slowly to find that she was still in the same spot.
"Huh…what happened?" Chihiro sat up and leaned against the wall, rubbing her warm head.
Her eyelids began to slowly open and she glanced beside her.
"What? Where's that tree?" Her eyes opened wider as she stood up. Chihiro noticed the pot was still there but empty.
"I wonder where it is…oh well." she said as she studied her watch. "Oh my gosh! It's four o'clock already? Mom's gonna kill me!" and with that she fled out of the shrine and through the forest. It took almost forever to find her way out.
Finally, Chihiro came to a path she recognized and she followed it. She was very close to home.
"Five thirty." She said as she studied her watch. She turned towards the meadow in front of her and gazed into the purple sky.
"Wow…what a pretty sunset." The cool breeze blew in and comforted her as she gazed into the sky.
Many light beams from the sun shot through the holes in the clouds.
"I wish I could just stay…I've never seen anything so beautiful…" Chihiro kept on walking home, knowing that her mom wouldn't accept a pretty sunset as an excuse.
Chihiro finally came to the end of the forest. As soon as she crossed that path, she would be home in five minutes (she had a special shortcut). As she took the last steps down the path she felt a presence.
Is someone following me?
Chihiro turned around to see…nothing. It was just the wind blowing in, brushing dust and leaves as it trailed through. She took another step.
Something came by, and gently pushed her back. Chihiro gasped and turned around to find standing before her a great!!!!!!!
Nothing.
She heard the wind brushing through the trees and decided it was her imagination.
As she came closer to the end, she looked as far behind as she could with the corner of her eye without turning around. As she walked a steady pace, a soft hand touched Chihiro's neck.
She froze completely. Goosebumps rose in her arms. She looked straight ahead and did not dare look behind her.
The hand slowly dropped down to her back. She felt the hand grab her shoulder and suddenly she felt the presence come closer to her body. It came closer until it could whisper in her ear.
It breathed in her ear. She shivered in fear. Yet still it moved closer.
As soon as the presence put his other hand on her left arm, she stopped. She felt paralyzed from head to toe, and overpowered. But somehow, she felt safe...scared to death yes but still safe. A weird emotion.
What is going on? Who are you? She thought, wondering who was playing a trick on her.
"Run, and don't look back." The presence whispered in her ear. It slowly moved its hand off her shoulder and put his other hand on her back.
Chihiro was now feeling a bit dazed and horrified; she was aware and alert but had given up on the soft gentle feeling behind her.
Who are you? What do you mean run? I'm frozen! I feel like a spell has been put on me…
As Chihiro was just getting comfy, the presence burst out a command, "I said, GO!" The presence pushed her forward with such great force, she 'woke up' and ran…and she didn't stop running till she got home.
Before she left sight of the forest, she looked back and saw the 'presence.' It was a young man, but she was too far to make out who he was or what he looked like.